If you run wisely and stay fit and strong, there's no need to hang up your running shoes simply because you've reached a certain age, says Polly de Mille, an exercise physiologist at the Women's Sports Medicine Center at the Weill Cornell-affiliated Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. These six steps can help you run longer and smarter:
1. Do strength training.
To run effectively after age 50, make sure your whole body--particularly your back and abdomen--is strong enough to do it, says de Mille. Ten percent of muscle fiber is lost every decade after age 50--and running doesn't do much to build muscle mass. When your back or abdominals are weak, your biomechanics change, making you more prone to injury. "We've all seen the hunched-over posture of some older runners," de Mille says. "Lack of upperbody and overall core strength means you can't maintain a normal upright posture when you run."
2. Maintain flexibility.
With age, connective tissue--tendons and ligaments--becomes less pliable. If you don't work on maintaining flexibility, you won't be able to move your joints through the full range of motion. Then, when you run, your stride might be altered and strain the joints--especially in your legs and hips.
3. Work on balance.
"You run one leg at a time; if you can't stand on one leg when you're not moving, you're probably not well balanced when you're running," explains de Mille. Practice standing on one leg at a time, first with a support, then without.
4. take adequate recovery time. As you age, it takes a longer to recover from a run. Instead of running every day or six days a week, consider cross training--doing something with less impact, such as yoga or strength training--on alternate days so you're not pounding your joints every day.
5. Modify standard training programs.
If a book or magazine presents a program such as a six-week, 10K racing plan or marathon training plan, "Be aware that this is a generic program. The program may be fine for 20-year-old joints, but not for someone 55 years old; you can get overuse injuries if you follow it exactly," de Mille cautions. "It doesn't mean you're not a good runner--only that 55-year-old joints, ligaments, and tendons are different."
6. eat a well-balanced diet and maintain a normal body weight.
Extra body weight adds to the wear and tear on your joints. You also heal and recover faster if you're eating a healthy diet, with enough protein that the tissue can repair itself and enough carbohydrates to keep your energy level high.
1. Do strength training.
To run effectively after age 50, make sure your whole body--particularly your back and abdomen--is strong enough to do it, says de Mille. Ten percent of muscle fiber is lost every decade after age 50--and running doesn't do much to build muscle mass. When your back or abdominals are weak, your biomechanics change, making you more prone to injury. "We've all seen the hunched-over posture of some older runners," de Mille says. "Lack of upperbody and overall core strength means you can't maintain a normal upright posture when you run."
2. Maintain flexibility.
With age, connective tissue--tendons and ligaments--becomes less pliable. If you don't work on maintaining flexibility, you won't be able to move your joints through the full range of motion. Then, when you run, your stride might be altered and strain the joints--especially in your legs and hips.
3. Work on balance.
"You run one leg at a time; if you can't stand on one leg when you're not moving, you're probably not well balanced when you're running," explains de Mille. Practice standing on one leg at a time, first with a support, then without.
4. take adequate recovery time. As you age, it takes a longer to recover from a run. Instead of running every day or six days a week, consider cross training--doing something with less impact, such as yoga or strength training--on alternate days so you're not pounding your joints every day.
5. Modify standard training programs.
If a book or magazine presents a program such as a six-week, 10K racing plan or marathon training plan, "Be aware that this is a generic program. The program may be fine for 20-year-old joints, but not for someone 55 years old; you can get overuse injuries if you follow it exactly," de Mille cautions. "It doesn't mean you're not a good runner--only that 55-year-old joints, ligaments, and tendons are different."
6. eat a well-balanced diet and maintain a normal body weight.
Extra body weight adds to the wear and tear on your joints. You also heal and recover faster if you're eating a healthy diet, with enough protein that the tissue can repair itself and enough carbohydrates to keep your energy level high.
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